Brewer scores with NFL contribution

The Arizona Cardinals have yet to win a Super Bowl, but they’re champs when it comes to super PACs.

A $5,000 donation last month from the Cardinals to Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer’s JAN PAC committee appears to be the first time a National Football League club has institutionally contributed to a federal super PAC, which may raise unlimited amounts of money from individuals, corporations, unions — even sports teams.

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But JAN PAC, which collected more than $204,000 during the year’s second quarter, according to new federal filings submitted Saturday night, spent its stash on the decidedly pedestrian: Internet and email payments, credit card processing fees, catering, travel costs and postage.

JAN PAC also spent $3,119 at Amazon.com purchasing copies of Brewer’s own book, “Scorpions for Breakfast: My Fight Against Special Interests, Liberal Media, and Cynical Politicos to Secure America’s Border,” as gifts for super PAC donors, the committee’s filing shows. The super PAC spent a similar amount on the tome during the year’s first quarter.

A PAC spokesperson could not be reached for comment, although JAN PAC’s website states that the super PAC is “dedicated” to four goals, including “securing the border and restoring integrity to our immigration system,” “fighting ObamaCare,” “creating jobs – getting Americans back to work” and “reducing the size of government.” The super PAC formed in October. Brewer frequently takes to national television to tout these positions and has notablysparred with President Barack Obama, earning her accolades from conservatives in particular.

Aside from the Cardinals, JAN PAC received several corporate contributions from April to June, including $25,000 from Rural/Metro Fire in Scottsdale; $10,000 from Phoenix-based Channen Construction and $3,000 each from prominent lobbying firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck and Paradise Valley-based Vanguard Health Systems.

The Susan B. Anthony List political action committee, which opposes abortion rights, also contributed $5,000, while General Motors’ PAC chipped in $2,000.

It’s not uncommon for individual sports executives and even players to make political donations — Phoenix Suns Chairman Jerry Colangelo, for example, donated $5,000 to JAN PAC on June 24, filings show.

And the NFL itself frequently lobbies the federal government and operates a traditional federal PAC through which it typically makes small donations directly to candidates’ campaigns.

But professional sports teams as entities rarely donate to federal political interests.

An automatic email response from Mark Dalton, the Cardinals’ team spokesman, directed questions to other team officials, who could not immediately be reached for comment.